Wichita eagle., 1887-01-08
NOTED CARTOONISTS.
A LIST OF ARTISTS WHO ARE SAID
TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION.
Nativity of Our Prominent Pictorial Carl
atUrists-Characterist of Their Work
and Criticisms of Their Methods-EIaL-
erS of Humorous Drawings.

The men who in New York follow in the
paths Of the masters, and contribute to the
weekly press our social and political cartoons
come to US from different sections and various
countries Frank Beliew, who signs IF. L. :"
in a triangle, a tall, slight man, was born in
India. Thomast Mast, short and stumpv,
comes from the Rhine. Joseph KepDler halls
from Vienna. Hoolf and Herford, Gillian
and Steiner are Englishmen by birth, though
Americans By education. Thomas Worth.
Charles J. Taylor, j. A Mitchell, ". II.
Hyde are New Workers. James A Wales.
Frederick Opper, Edward ". Kcmble, W.
a. Rogers are from the west Ciani is q
Florentine Zimmerman, who signs lin
/ is a native Of Elmira. S. W. Van Shack,
J who signs Van with flourish, is at home
/ in Albany.
! Frank Bollew, Thomas Worth and Michael
/ Wool are representatives of the old school of
! caricature. They take Us back to the Vanity
/ Fair and Yankee Doodle days They treat
/ OF life somewhat in the manner of Crlik-
shank. Fathers of family, meek daughters,
brokers' street urchins look out at US from
/ Bellows cartoons. Often slovenly in his
workmanship, and not in the spirit OF the
/ time, Bellew is yet generally fecund. quick,
| effective.
Thomas WORTH who is now connected
with Texas Siftings, produces quite as much
to-day as he did twenty years ago. He is
very ready ct Selling an idea, but he sketches
1t rather tban works it out. Conventional
/ when treating political subjects, he is in his
clement when he tackles turtles who chew
and smoke, negroes who hold skinny horses
and say incOnGruous things, musicians who
produce much noise and little harmony,
hotel clerks, low life swells, tramps. Ills
drawing is bold. He began his artistic
career when quite young on blotters and
hymn books and much against parental
wishes
When young man, Michael Kncedler, in
PRODUCED him to Edwin Forrest. The car
toonist only drew n caricature of the ira
gedian, and Knoeder showed it to him rs
the fellow mad?' roared Forrest you
don't mean to tell me have such legs, such a
I head! Look at the muscles in my arm, III
my neckt Forrest proved once again that
he hadn't the slightest sense of humor, and
though TIE cartoon sold far and wide at the
time, he never could see the point, always
considered it an exccrable likeness.
Michael Woolf delights in child life He
illustrates capitally its amusing imitation of
grown people, its witty sayings, its uncon-
scious knowledge Of hum2n nature. Sub
tract the eGaggeration-Ihich is the carica-
turist'S right-and you have truth Children
are drawn toward this man who understands
them so well.
In the work Of Thomas Mast there is no
trace OF Cruikshank. His style may not be
acceptable TO the sticBlcrs FOR The grammar
of art, but it is his Own. and he has made it
popular with the crowd. Hescored his great
hit, as is known. about the period The Times
began its crusade against the Tammany
ring. Every one remembers Old Tweed, with
the big nose, bulging eyes, big diamond, big
paunch, as represented by Mast Mast has
no liGhtress Of touch, no dizziness OF hand.
His pencil does not trot, but plods. His peo-
pie all move slowly, many clumsiy.
1t was about ten years ago when people
began to tire of the black and white cartoons
that Joseph Kepper stepped in with Puck
and gave them colored cartoons His draw
ing, from the very first, was correct, easy,
fearless; his manner large; his color brilliant.
Looking over his work, it may be said that
he is successful as a political rather than as
social cartoonist. His gentlemen do not
stand well, sit well, dress well. His women
are often coarse. But his cartoons Of poll
ticians of nigh or low degree, have individ-
uaity and expression, are excellent, reCog-
nizablo reproductions OF The originals
Prompted by the success of KeppIeg's week
", Jamcs a. Wales, tall and poTtIy, became
the leading spirit Of Judge, a rival in the
same style, but OF opposite political faith Ii
is evident that he appeals to the masses and
does not care for The judgment Of the critical
Original in his ideas, boi in their execution.
he aims to be strong and often succeeds only
in being vulgar. The types which he catches
best are generally taken from the Sums
Wales works at short notice and rapidly.
IL Wales was formerly on Judge and has
recently done some cartoons for Puck, so Gil
lam, tall, slender, with keen, intelligent eyes,
was originally on Puck, and is now, under
the new management, the head OF the staff of
Judge Gillian conceives his own subjects,
but he is not always happy in The way he ex-
ccutas them. His figures are often wooden;
his faces often have jayHdice or an attack of
TIE browns; his grouping IS often huddled
OF the artists who have gathered around
Keppler. Wales and Gillian, Charles j. Tay-
Tor and E. Zimmerman are by far the most
noteworthy Both these men have a large
way Of treating Il subject, are correct
dI-au=htsmen without seeming crampel by
rules, put movement into the beings q their |
creation. and have abundant invention. Nor
must we forget tell. gaunt \. 3. Frost, who
is an occasional contributor TO Puck, and who /
in this aud other papers has made hundreds /
and thousands laugh at their own folly.
When J. y Mitchell, who had received bis /
education il Boston and in Paris, founded /
Life q few years ago he did 50 ostensibly Il /
counterfeit the snobbishness Of certain circles I
in society. to attack Ang!omanla and q nam /
Der Of other mauiaS, and to protest against /
the glare of his colored cartoon contempt /
raries. But his models were decidedly foreign /
and the execution was amateuri>h. The ,
drawings of Mitchell, especially his young I
women and cherubs, are row full Of teclHi- /
cal skill, grace and spirit ". i. Hyde. who (
does considerable work for harpeT's Bazaar, /
and who has exhibited water Colors, IS very
clever in his representation OF tete-a-tetc 1
conversations No one can DO a society /
gathering. n little group behind the scenes, q /
promenade better than W. s ". Van /
Schaick He is q pupil of Geronc and skill /
full with the brush as We'll as the pencil Few /
equal Albert L. Sternor in picturing fash
ionable party in a box a the theatre: Knot /
of well dressed club men III the lobby: women (
who give n liStlesS attention II The play,
whisper, stroke their gloves; men who smile
the regulation society smile or stare with wei /
trained Indifference
Some of the comic head and tail pieces Of
Oliver HEREFORD and his illustrations III tie
text are often apt and effective. But the
figures of McNicar strike me Is stiff and con-
venticnal rs those OF Il tai.or's fashion plate,
and Atwood has not made much artistic
proEreSS since he depicted in spirited styls
The manners and customs of Harvard. The
political cartoons Of William \ Rogers ao-
peal to the intelligence of the reader. and arc
Generally well conceived and well worked /